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For Today...
'Benediction'
Extended beyond the actual blessing, giving it an 'end of service' context.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6cf0V62PSU - Aaronic Blessing from Matt Redman. (This is the recording I learnt it from.)(22/02/2025)
Recent links
'The God of Abraham praise'
A good solid old hymn, with a great tune, which we haven't used in a while.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZZAp7FzwXg - a 4 verse version, with a florid introduction.(21/02/2025)
'All Heaven Declares'
One of those songs where the improvisation opportunities (singing / playing 'in the holes') seem endless... a hallmark of musical quality.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-s9Kk6tfVU - a Robin Mark interpretation - relatively understated - so you can fill it in as you sing along.(20/02/2025)
'Blessed be the Name of the Lord'
A lively golden oldie, by Clinton Utterbach.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXNDPpk82Tk(19/02/2025)
'Praise Him you heavens'
Driving opener, pacey and great fun. (For the keyboard player, plenty of scope to use a variety of sounds. Synth or Hammond on the chorus, as is your taste.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBo9yIUWEEc - Hillsong Worship live recording.(18/02/2025)
'All the way my Saviour leads me'
Quality US Victoriana. There's a fair bit packed into the words, and Robert Lowry is perhaps the finest exponent of this musical genre.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnEZyfzkJgs - Grace Community Church, California.www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekUELQCnQlM - short version, sung by the Mennonite Hour Singers.
(17/02/2025)
'Let us build a house where love can dwell'
Brilliant, moving, anthemic masterpiece by Marty Haughen.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbyZQnPw-wk - with all the verses, including the 'communion' one.(16/02/2025)
'Have you heard God's voice'
Jacqueline Jones's powerful and challenging song deserves to be more widely known.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwZAxlHf91o - nice arrangement, presumably tailored for this choir.travelswithwesley.blogspot.com/2017/07 (...) - a copy of the words.
(15/02/2025)
'Night has fallen'
An old evening favourite: not much use at other times, alas.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qduinik0WM - the video includes a preamble in which the congregation are taught to sing it.(14/02/2025)
'Jesus, take me as I am'
A golden oldie we don't use much now, but still good. Electric piano is good, so is guitar (in E) with plenty of open chords.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zno7MB5_o - nicely paced.(13/02/2025)
'Jesus, All for Jesus'
Beautiful folk ('Celtic') style worship song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Wa2msOq9c - a Robin Mark interpretation.(12/02/2025)
'From the squalor of a borrowed stable'
One of Stuart Townend's para-Celtic songs (needs a flute or two), which has been part of our Advent repertoire ever since it first appeared. And it's good to use at other times too. Repeating and stretching the last 4 lines works well for us.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YksTeR61O1I - live worship recording led by Mr Townend himself.(11/02/2025)
'Lord, You have always given'
From the Northumbria Community's Evening Prayer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvzSTOFd6i0 - a video presentation of the recording which originally introduced me to this.(10/02/2025)
'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty'
A fine German hymn with a good (Joachim Neander) tune. A standard traditional opener.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhQi4yWTUBY - sung by the choir of King's College Cambridge.(09/02/2025)
'O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder'
A very popular song with many people. I find it comes up often at funerals. Alas, Mission Praise printed a version with a devil's tritone in the melody, and not everyone corrects it!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdE_NKyY_o0 - a Songs of Praise version from Winchester Cathedral.(08/02/2025)
'Only by grace'
A well written and well known song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ixkmBOIUE - a popular recording.(07/02/2025)
'Cleanse me, O God'
A good song to use with prayers of confession. Musically, it works well with open chords on the guitar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve-UyHjAnPU(06/02/2025)
'One more step along the world I go'
A children's song from the incomparable wordsmith that was Sydney Carter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jhAzbdKq6U - provided by Chet Valley Churches.(05/02/2025)
'My life flows on in endless song'
There are many variations on this old hymn:- we use the version published in "I will not Sing Alone", from Wild Goose. Robert Lowry was in a different league to most of the late 19th century evangelical hymn writers and composers, and this song illustrates the point.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BifkC92nT8 - a quite different version to the one we use - by a church choir from Oakland CA, nicely done.(04/02/2025)
'May the mind of Christ my Saviour'
There was a time when this was a regular closing hymn for us.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE5fOXSymBc - A Chet Valley Churches 'support during Covid' recording. Could do with an intro, but nicely played and sung, from a useful resource.www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ZBhSxWots - solo voice and guitar, nicely done. Not the obvious instrument to choose, but I've been there, in the days before portable/electronic keyboards. (We do not have the 6th verse.)
(03/02/2025)
'Mine eyes have seen (Now, O Lord, I can depart in peace)'
A lovely Nunc Dimittis by Liesel Stanbridge.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTD_AptP9g - the only recording available.(02/02/2025)
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